Among Dragons (Editing)

Chapter 6

The air around me was dead still, not even the slightest breeze rolling across the hills. It felt odd on my skin, like it was just sitting there without a purpose or reason. It made me want to peel it off and throw it to the floor.

The sun was high in a partly clouded sky. Several birds circled around overhead, casting shadows to race across the grass for brief and erratic seconds. Even though I tried not to, I could still hear the occasional rush of whispers and murmurs coming from the crowd behind me. We were all waiting for Raiden, who would start this journey by his arrival.

“Eris.” A voice called my attention. “Are you sure that you have everything?” It was Niram, and he was rummaging through a back pack in his hands for something. Belts of weapons criss crossed his body.

“I think so,” I said. It was a wary response, unsure of itself, but I guessed it sufficed because he looked up at me and nodded. The sun lightened the heavy gaze of his eyes to a bright green color. His angular features were still set into a steady look of determination.  

“How good are you with knives?”

“Not very good. I never really had the need to use them.” I shrugged sheepishly.

“Okay,” What looked like a small smile tugged at the very corners of his mouth in amusement. “I’m still going to give you this though.” He handed me a large hunting knife, its blade a matte gray. It was heavy in my hand. The fact that we needed weapons like these made me doubt my original thoughts of what this trip would be like. Now, I had a feeling it would be a lot more dangerous than expected. The knots started to tie in my stomach again.

I brought my eyes up to his. “Where will I put it?”

“Here,” Niram pulled a belt out of the backpack, but after a moment I realized that it was not a belt but a holster. He reached around my waist to tie it as quickly as he could, avoiding eye contact just as much as I was. When his hand brushed across a small strip of bare skin on my back, it felt like fire.

“Okay,” He said while pulling the strap to tighten it against my body. “We should be all set now.”

“Niram!” A voice called over the hills. It was a strong voice, one that made all of the voices in the crowd behind us hush to nothing. The King walked to us with a stride so full of power that I was surprised the grass didn’t bow down to his presence.

“Father.” He nodded in response.

“Is everything ready? Are you ready?”

“We have all of the supplies in here,” He patted the backpack. “And all of the preparations are set. We’re just waiting for Raiden, now.”

The King gave a light smile. “Just remember, this mission is of the utmost importance. If it fails to be completed, devastation larger than just one realm will ensue.”

Niram’s gaze darkened. He fixated it on the ground to avoid any eye contact, but I had gotten a glimpse of what had embedded itself into his eyes. It was self doubt so raw that it weighed down onto my chest, too, just for knowing that it existed.

“Now, now, dear,” A soothing voice cooed from behind the King. “There is no need to scare them.”

The Queen now stood beside the King, her green eyes shining brightly. With pronounced yet delicate features and glowing skin, she was beautiful. She embodied what every story depicted a Queen to be, with a powerful stance, silky hair, and a beautiful face that wasn’t shy to violence and power. Her eyes locked with mine, a playfulness bouncing around in them.

        “A safe journey to you both,” She smiled. “and stay strong, Niram. I know you are capable of doing this.” Her pale, smooth hand reached out to tilt his gaze up to meet hers. There was a silent communication between them, something that seemed only a mother and her child could understand.